


Act 3- Rei Hino- Sailor Mars

by SailorCallisto



Series: Sailor Moon Rewrite [3]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Gen, Sailor Moon - Freeform, Sailor Moon Crystal, Sailor Moon Manga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 15:20:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11293377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorCallisto/pseuds/SailorCallisto
Summary: A rewrite in story form of the Sailor Moon manga/Crystal. This is the one where Rei becomes Mars.





	1. Chapter 1

"Jadeite" Queen Beryl snarled, her eyes burning violet as she leaned forward in her chair with a spear in hand. Her hair was rumpled as if she had been running her skeletal fingers through it all day out of anxiety. The spear had seem to have come from nowhere, glinting murderously as her eyes and its tip planted on the slippery flooring. A mild quiver had run through the handle, something that not even Beryl would notice, although Jadeite spotted it out easily. He knelt as still as a statue on the glassy surface, eyes firmly focused on his dim reflection that was shadowed by the emerald flames that leapt menacingly on either side. He knew that this would most likely be the end of his life, pried from his chest of his Majesty's spear tip to become a table piece. Heart fluttering against his ribs, he did his best to hide the nerves with a mask of stone confidence for the queen, because maybe she would leave him to be lost in the dark heart of the night. "You have failed me twice already. How are you to pay for it?" She asked almost sardonically, although it was easy to see through that facade with the shake in her voice and the sheen of sweat on her brow. Jadeite felt his head go white with dizziness, trying to think of a way to escape whatever horrors that she had ready. His throat felt raw as he tried to speak, coming out raspy, wobbly and overall...pathetic,  
"I am very sorry." Swallowing, he closed his eyes, feeling her burning gaze on the back of his neck, his imminent fate to near. Suddenly a male voice echoed from behind him, lower and melodic and all too familiar...Nephrite...Jadeite's brother.  
"Evils you create are made of clay." Nephrite's heels clicked crisply on the floor, the sarcasm in his tone already nagging at his ears. Eyes popping open, Jadeite drew from his bow to peer behind where the form of Nephrite was shrouded in shadow. "That's why they are so weak." He drawled, stepping into the light. Nephrite loomed, giving a sinister glare at Jadeite with an older brother superiority. Mahogany locks tumbled down his shoulders, thick and wavy reaching down to mid-back where they tapered off with a curl, a wave of bangs covering his left eye. Dark eyes and slanted with deception and manipulation, easy to get lost in even by relatives. Jadeite had envied Nephrite most of all, being slightly older and getting authority over him, and not the youngest either while being the tallest of them all. Nephrite had an uncanny ability to get his way every, single time, and most of his wishes had not been in Jadeite's favour. The corner of his mouth twitched up in one of those deceptive smiles as more words poured from his mouth, smooth as water over worn stones. "Queen Beryl, remember, I am also one of the Four Kings of the Dark Kingdom. Please leave the mission to me." Jadeite let his mouth twist, sickened at his brother's silky words trying to get him killed. Nephrite glided across the floor, making his way dangerously close to Queen Beryl. "I will efficiently collect more energies for our great ruler, and will retrieve for you The Legendary Silver Crystal." Sneering, he cast a gloating face at Jadeite's own defeat stricken one. Jadeite had no choice but to keep quiet, eyebrows slanted angrily at the floor, lips pressed tight.  
"But wait, the Sailor Guardians are sure to get in the way again." Another delicate voice piped up from the other corner. Jadeite jumped slightly, feeling cornered in his own kin as he turned to face his third oldest brother.  
"Zoisite..." Jadeite muttered, seething with hate. Zoisite was nearly the same height as himself, yet three years older and renowned for his critical thinking. While being lean, he had broad shoulders that made the shoulders of his crisp uniforms tighten at the corners, a green trim around the edge of the collar to compliment his vivid green eyes. Luxurious waves of hair cascaded over his back and collected in a thick, blond ponytail at the nape of his neck, curled strands sticking out from behind his ears as if they had purposefully fallen out to create a carefree, yet precise air about him. That same mood reflected in nearly every one of his exquisite features, shapely nose with a sharp point, tight lips that dipped in at the chin elegantly, and eyes that were sunken deep into his face with a tragic beauty only Zoisite could accurately pull off. He leaned, statuesque against the direct opposite pillar from Nephrite's, eerily still as only his mouth moved.  
"The Sailor Guardians might be after The Legendary Silver Crystal as well, and may have more information than us. We do not want to eliminate them, simply give them something else to fight for in order to give us information on their fighting tactics so we can capture them." He gave a salty smile, crossing his long arms over his chest proudly.  
Queen Beryl's breathing quickened, glancing at all three of the brothers with surprise and an unwelcome temptation. She stood, her auburn hair blowing back from her face like a waterfall of blood as she opened her mouth, about to speak. Jadeite beat her to it, summoning courage and strength into his words, trying to sound like he was was inquisitive and an authority- unable to be surpassed by any.  
"Queen Beryl, please tell me what the Legendary Silver Crystal is." He hoped that the question would make it sounds as if lack of information was the only reason he wasn't succeeding, which would make his failures her fault. Ducking his head lower, he tried to see Beryl past his blond curtain of bangs, making a point to show that he was the only one who was bowing in her presence. He didn't get to see the suspicious squint in her eyes as Beryl pushed a strand of blood red hair from her eyes, scrutinizing him with every inch of her power. The grip tightened on the spear as it glinted the reflecting light of the useless green flames that he had sent blazing.  
"It is the source of all kinds of energy." Her voice warbled, low and powerful yet terrified- almost human sounding. Her eyes darted down to the glowing orb that was encased in thorns, she reached out to feel its faint emittance of warmth and trying to absorb it power. Her tone became barely a whisper, and yet everybody in the room could hear her frightened words, "They say it has near unlimited power. The person who obtains it will be the ruler of all emotions and ultimately have rule over the world. Imagine, manipulating love and hate, life and death itself..." Her voice strained, cracking as she let her gaze wander back to her servants. Fingernails brushing over the marble surface of the globe, an image appeared from within- a shriveled hand that swayed in the air above it. From the inside, it grappled its fingertips on the inside of the glass, more hands rising to beg for freedom. As the illusionary arms chipped away the glass, a great light shone about the room like a beacon. Jadeite's mouth went slack, visions flashing over his mind of many things that seemed to made him feel unbearably happy, and yet he couldn't recall what they were exactly after the light dimmed. There was shuffling behind him as Zoisite moved closer, now side by side with Nephrite, directly behind the obediently bowing Jadeite. All three men gaped at the illusions she cast into their brains, demonstrating how even the fragment of power could make them feel such emotion, and helping them to realize just how strong the full power would make them. No...make her. "But that is no matter now." She drew her hand away from the glowing ball, visions fading away immediately and leaving them in deafening silence. "Your mission is to get rid of our enemies, the Sailor Guardians." she paused in thought, her voice becoming stronger and reverberating about the room. She gave a saccharine smile at her servants, raising her spear to point at him. "...Jadeite." She chose, her voice unsure and tense.  
Jadeite's heart leapt in relief and determination, he stood with a grunt, saluting at his forgiving, kind hearted, good intentioned, graceful Queen Beryl, "I will eliminate the Sailor Guardians at any cost."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usagi confirms that she is probably bi....

Usagi and Ami sat on the bench of the bus stop, Luna belly-up in Ami's warm, fleece covered arms, purring softly as fingers caressed her fur. Ami leaned down in a slump, her voice soft although there was nobody else waiting within the vicinity. The sky was a wash of white clouds, the slender trees silhouetted and appearing stark black against he brightness. A thin breeze fluttered over and making a white noise, though the sounds of cars seemed extra loud in the near empty streets. Luna's closed her eyes, ears perking as she listened to Ami's soft voice,

"I still can hardly believe it." She murmured to the both of them. Usagi leaned away, knowing exactly what the next words were going to be for she had heard it at least fifteen times within the last four days. "We are the Guardians of Justice." Luna's bald patch lit dimly in the already bright day, her eyes widening to reveal two cherry red irises with a slit for pupils, strangely emotional for a cat and still disconcerting to look at.  
"Its okay, you've only just awakened your power, you will get used to it soon." She glanced at Usagi who had already quit the conversation, rummaging in her bag for the manga that she had forgotten at home. Ami smiled softly, observing her from the corner of her eye.  
"But Luna," She started, turning back to the cat that lay in her arms. "What should be do now?" Her large turquoise eyes slanted together in thought, her lips parting as the memories flooded back of the teacher turning into a beast, and the stories of Usagi's friend's mom. Anybody could be possessed, she realized. Luna twisted, squirming down to perch next to her knee.  
"We have to protect our princess." She decided, "And the Legendary Silver Crys-" Luna was interrupted by a loudly sighing Usagi who must have realized that she had forgotten her manga, now breaking a twig that she had found on the ground as Luna peered disdainfully up at her. Ami ignored both of them, thinking through what Luna had said, trying to tie in the observations she had made of the previous attack, trying to thin of a way to predict the next possible threat.  
"What about that new urban legend that has been popping up recently? The one about the so-called 'Demon bus.'" She pinched her lips to the side, remembering the news article in it the other day. It had reported that people who had traveled on a certain bus had disappeared, although there was no evidence. Only the tale that had spoke of a seventh hill that the passengers had reported going over that didn't seem to be on the road. Ami turned towards Usagi, fingers curling patiently in her lap as she spoke,  
"Usagi?" The first name still felt strange to say, she hadn't had the chance to do so for many years. "Have you heard of the "Demon 6:00 PM Bus?" Usagi sat up, dropping the snapped twig from her hands and rubbing them on her skirt.  
"On the Sendai-Zaka?" She scrunched her eyebrows together, "Mhmm...my dad said its not true though." She dismissed the idea easily, the confirmation from her dad being the only thing she needed apparently. Ami pressed her lips tighter, trying to pretend that Usagi was just a small child who needed coaxing, Luna crawled across her lap to sit between the two of them, looking slightly incredulous.  
"Usagi, it might correlate to the enemy! Always pay attention to these type of things, it part of your job as a Sailor Guardian and your duty to the-"   
"Okay! Okay!" Usagi leaned back in the seat, cradling one of her twin tails and tying it into knots, staring at the sky as she recalled the information. "My dad didn't say much because he didn't want Shingo to get scared-" Luna muttered something inaudible to Ami, although it must have been rude because Usagi snapped back almost immediately. Sulky, she scooted away, her tone unforgiving and monotonous, "When you take the bus at whatever-o'clock, you'll never return." Forgetting about her grudges, Usagi leaned at them, her voice becoming raspy and low as she repeated the last sentence as if an echo. "Never return, never return." Though it was fake, the mood that the words left in Ami was not at all a cheerful one, making her mind wander into unexplored crannies that told her just how this might be something to worry about. "Maybe Death itself is driving the bus." Usagi added, gripping the edge of the seat with wide eyes glued to Ami. "Its bound for Hell..."   
"Usagi, stop that, you are scaring Ami!" Luna made them both jump, awakening Ami from her dark trance that she had fallen into, thinking of all the ways it could be true. A rumbling from afar warned them of the arrival of the bus, as it neared, Ami checked the time to make sure it wasn't 6:00, she knew it couldn't be, seeing the amount of daylight and the brief time they had left school, but still, her paranoid mind often took over in such situations. Usagi was unfazed, already forgetting about it to whine in her annoying, yet endearing tone.  
"Why do you have to go to cram school again? Don't leave me!" She grumbled as she lifted her bag to strap it over her head. Ami giggled softly, ducking her head,  
"Would you like to come with me then?" She joked, rising to her feet as the bus brakes screeched to a halt and becoming a confining wall of shadow over them. The scent of smog filling the air, and uncomfortable heat from metal on metal as they stood before the doors. Usagi screwed up her face, her shoulders scrunching up to demonstrate how awful it would be if it wasn't just a joke. Ami couldn't help but to feel bad for Usagi's lack of ambition, as a mortal, she would hardly be able to get out of school. At least she had found her place as a Sailor Guardian. As the doors released their air pressured seal, Ami leaned over, murmuring,  
"Across the seat at the front of the bus, a beautiful girl is always seated there." She giggled as Usagi's eyes grew mischievous, ignoring how out of character that was of Ami. She nodded her head, eyes wide with interest as if to say, go on. "Well, I see her all the time on the bus, her uniform says that she goes to the T.A. Girls Academy." Ami explained, a rosy blush blooming over her cheeks.

The bus pulled up just then, muffling Ami's next words with a deafening screech.She couldn't help but to remember Sailor Moon's scream the other night, and how it had broken the windows from such intensity. With a grimace at he memory, they loaded onto the stuffy bus, Usagi quickly deciding to come and stuffing Luna into her school bag as Ami paid. They managed to squeeze near the front, holding onto the rungs that hung from the ceiling. The girl in front of them with the ponytail offered her a seat although Ami politely declined, choosing to stand on the tipsy vehicle rather than socialize. As the bus closed its airtight doors with a whoosh, she read the pixelated sign that flashed near the front. Her heart rate sped for a second, recognizing the name of the street and bus number, the Sendai-Zaka, thank goodness this wasn't 6:00, even though it was merely a tale to attract visitors with no real data proof, the idea scared Ami more than ever.  
"Is that her?" Usagi interrupted, pointing across the aisle with pursed lips. Ami didn't even have to look to know that it was the girl, she discreetly nodded and faced the window, strips of light flashing into her eyes painfully. She could hear Usagi's heavy breathing that was too conspicuous in this crowded bus, Ami covered her face with her icy hand, trying to hide the crimson that leaked into her neck and ears. She watched as Usagi's hue mirrored her exactly, flushing pink as her mouth dropped open in awe, her eyes like saucers.   
"Usagi, its rude to stare." Ami murmured, her gaze locking on the girl despite her words. She was indeed beautiful, silky black hair with purple highlights, reaching nearly to her knees and curling inward. Her skin was flawless without a hint of a freckle or blemish, a pink undertone cooling her already icy white skin. One hand suspended above her head, she gazed wearily outside the window, her deep violet eyes reflecting the whizzing trees from outside, smouldering lashes caressing her pale cheek. She wore the standard uniform for the T.A. Girls Academy, a russet pleated skirt that fell past her thighs, and a crisp, tawny coat that hung over her button-up shirt. The girl had a strangely fierce appearance, her slanted eyes blazing intently and small lips pressed tightly in thought as if she were trying to solve all of the world's problems before this brief bus trip was over. The delicately straight nose that poked from behind her raised cheekbones made this teenager seem older than reality, an air about her that suggested she had seen many terrible things over the years. As if sensing Usagi's love-struck stare, she turned abruptly, Ami hardly being able to cover her stalking tendencies already. A bit of light struck her in the eye as the girl squinted at them curiously, Ami dismissing it or a flash of light although she knew fully well that the sun shone on the opposite side of the bus. Maybe the raven-haired girl saw the flash as well, for her lips quivered, almost as if she were about to say something to one of them, although she must have not felt it necessary. She raised her slender fingers to her face, massaging her temples as if it had begun to throb. Ami batted at Usagi's sweatshirt, trying to grab her attention back in case the girl felt uncomfortable.

"Ami..." Usagi murmured, barely moving her lips, her eyes bugging out. Ami turned away exasperatedly as a stop came into view, deeming her efforts to stop Usagi's attention-drawing acts in vain. The bus came to a smooth stop, sending the passengers swaying awkwardly to the side with a few grunts of apology. Ami leaned against the back seat, taking deep breaths to release the rush of blood into her face. She peered from the corner of her eye as the girl stepped from the bus with a brisk nod to the driver, numerous others who jabbered as they unloaded, none quite as swift or elegant as the mysterious girl with violet eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh! Rei is homo as well!...

Usagi watched the girl, awestruck, as she stepped from the bus, her low heels clacking forcefully on the concrete without care. Her hair was as black as night and flowing in rippling tendrils with the sudden gust of wind, contrasting starkly from her milky complexion. Usagi straightened her back as if being pulled by a string, her eyes glazing as the doors prepared to close. With hardly an acknowledgement, she scooped up her bag with Luna tucked safely inside and slipped through the thinning crack. Only as the bus pulled away did she wave to Ami, a bemused expression forming over her pixie-like face as she fluttered her fingers from inside, the window warping slightly.   
The cold air sent a wave of chills over her arms, sticking to her skin like burrs as she turned away from the street, shivering unrelentingly. She glanced around, the bus getting smaller and smaller as it rolled over the last hill to the cram school. She didn't see the girl, only the couple that was chattering as they crossed the street- most likely tourists. Luna wiggled in the bag, leaping out and almost catching her foot on the rim. She peered up at Usagi exasperatedly,  
"Why did you get off here? You didn't even say bye to Ami!" Luna protested, trotting forward to keep up with Usagi who had set off to the nearest corner. She grinned tightly, her eyes scanning the entire area around them.  
"Well..." she began to explain, trailing off with uncertainty, "Um...because she is really pretty and I had nothing else to do anyway, right?" She giggled, clapping her hand together as she turned the corner. The girl was nowhere in sight, Usagi stooped low, looking Luna in the eye. "I've lost her, its your fault!" Usagi glowered down, crossing her arms over the fluffy bow on her chest and turning away with a pout. Luna ignored her melodrama, crossing the street to where two grey pillars were erected over a long pathway, bricks stacking in a traditional Japanese arch. The trail was encased in a thick row of deciduous trees, a worn brick path leading up to a flight of wide steps. Usagi inched under the arch, unsure to whether it was private property or not, but it was the only place that the girl could have gone, plus, if it was worn, this might be a public spot. Darting across the path, she climbed the steps, Luna right on her heels as they examined the structure that was set at the end.

It was the size of an average one story house, walls of canvas with wood slats weaving thorough its side for sturdiness. The doors were thick mahogany, arabesque designs engraved into the corners with meticulous care. The cloud's bright whiteness reflected on the metal roof, red and pointed at the top so rain would fall over the edge. On each of the four corners, it curled into a spigot shape, a chain hanging from there and coiling on the ground so the water would trail down rather than drip. Two identical coniferous trees stood on wither side of the building, blotches of birds dotting throughout the boughs, skwaking as Luna hissed. As Usagi approached, a blurred form crossed from the inside of the fuzzed out glass, it was most likely the girl from the bus from the mostly blackened appearance. 

 

All at once, two birds came diving from both trees, their talons outstretched as they dropped from the sky. She shrieked, dropping her bag in order to cover her face from the fanning wings as the inky feathers batted her in the face, their claws snatching up her tendrils of hair with a caw. She spun once, ducking lower and swiping her palm at the raven to the left, the claws pricking at her scalp as she spun wildly. Suddenly, she heard a voice, modulated and rich with power and fire, penetrating the air with a rhythmic chant, ending abruptly with,  
"Evil Spirits, be exorcised!" A slip of paper whizzed into her face, sticking between her eyes with uncanny precision. As she grappled at it for a second, its center magnetized to her forehead, the ravens circled around her head without grace. They allowed bits of feathers to rain upon her, their controlled movements surprisingly bodily and loud. Prying the paper from her head, she pinched her face in surprise as she examined it, finding foreign kanji scribbled onto its surface in wet ink. She squinted up, her vision clearing of the terror that the ravens had caused, trying to grasp the situation as well as possible. The girl from the bus stood only meters away, dressed messily in a white kimono top with a scarlet robe that draped past her ankles. Her face was screwed up in concentration and mild confusion as she studied this pig-tailed girl, realizing that she was no spirit or threat of any kind.   
"Who..." She murmured, eyebrow lifting as she waved her hands at the crows, they soared into the tree with ruffled feathers, skwaking more than ever now. "I'm so sorry for my mistake, I sensed a necromancer's aura as you approached." Her voice was thick with meaning that Usagi didn't want to have to comprehend. It was strangely husky for a girl, although smoky and pleasant to listen to- an orotund undertone that suggested hidden roots to every syllable she spoke. Eying her warily, the girl circled around to the nearest tree, raising her hand elegantly and beckoning the birds. The first beat their wings and dropped down to settle heavily upon her arm , the thick fabric hardly being enough to stop the talons from piercing her arm. Usagi was unable to speak, completely enveloped in her beauty to do much more than gawk, although he girl did not seem to notice. "Its so strange," She muttered, staring the raven in the eye, "Phobos and Deimos don't usually attack humans." Violet eyes glowing, she returned her gaze to Usagi questioningly.  
"Ah," Usagi stuttered, her eyes flitting back between her dropped bag and Luna who had escaped somehow and was hiding behind one of the pillars. "I'm Usagi Tsukino and just wanted to check out your super cool..." she swallowed hard, gesturing at the building as stupid sounds flowed from her mouth.  
"Shrine." The girl finished with a distracted nod, stroking the feathers of the raven that was perched on her elbow. "I am Rei Hino, call me Rei." She became business-like all of the sudden, her tone brittle. "Welcome to the Hikawa shrine, I am the shrines psychic- sensing the superntural and spirits etcetera. If you need any assistance, I will be happy to be of service." They were said with such sureness that Usagi was sure that she had said it a thousand times as an introduction. With a stiff bow, she turned away and hiked up the steps to reach a booth where she started to fold many bits of printed paper. Usagi stuttered, now embarrassed that she had intruded into a religious place, with a deep breath she began to traipse back to the archway where Luna had hidden, disappointed on too many levels.   
From behind, a woman emerged from the shrine with a frightened shout of Rei's name. Usagi flipped around to watch the commotion, still walking backwards. She had no particularly defining features since she is a side character, except for her faded magenta hair that may or may not have been dyed. Face contorting in anger, the dark haired woman leaned into Rei's face with a half snarl, as if she were about to hit her, "Mii is missing. What have you done with her? Bring her back!" Startled, Rei moved to the side, her eyes wide with understanding and fear. Fingering the edge of the square of paper, her eyebrows lowered in thought.

"When she left here, it was around 6:00 right? Could she have been taken by that supposed demon bus?" Rei lowered her chin to her chest, "Since I was the last to have seen her, you think her disappearance is something to do with the shrine, right?" Her voice was sad and unsurprised, simply disappointed that these customers seemed to think so little of her. The woman was unsteady on her feet, though she was able to give a slight nod, her nostrils flaring. "I will do anything I can to find her, but please don't blame me or my shrine." She pushed the woman in the chest indignantly her face turning stoic.   
As the woman jutted her jaw out and turned away, Usagi stepped closer to Rei with ears perked to listen to the woman's nasty mutters. How could Rei help at all with this woman's issues, she was just a shrine maiden. She hesitantly stepped closer, feeling the anger that radiate from the beautiful girl as she angrily stuffed folded papers into the already full basket.   
"Erm..." Usagi started nervously, "Is Mii-chan your friend?" She didn't know why she asked, only that there had to be a way to help. Rei glanced up, annoyance spiking in her words.  
"Yes. She plays here while waiting for the bus." Her voice quavered, separating her previously cold tone from a now regretful one, chock full of emotions. It nearly broke Usagi's heart.  
"Bus? You mean..." She uttered, raising a finger to her lips in understanding. Luna peeked out from behind the pillar and trotted over, leaping upon her back and making her way to the shoulders. Rei jerked her chin towards the road, setting down her papers to look away distractedly.   
"Well, there are six hills in Sendaizakaue, but it is believed to have seventh hill. When the bus passes over it at 6:00 PM, that is what is said to carry people away." She leaned forward onto the white tablecloth, her eyes closing in concentration on something other than the conversation. Usagi crept closer, her eyes searching the face of this sad, deeply troubled girl. "Do you know what we call it?" Rei whispered, lifting her head to stare deeply with her enigmatic violet eyes, a wry smile lifting the corners of her perfect mouth.   
"Spirited away."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usagi...your hetero is showing....

Usagi was the only person on the bus, except for Luna, but she hardly counted. She sat in the very back so that Luna and her could have privacy to discuss this mysterious Rei Hino. She recounted all of the information that Rei had given them back to Luna, plus the bits and pieces that her dad had told her (although it wasn't much,) and the questionable rumors that had been spread around school. Apparently, one student had been taken a week ago and still has not shown any signs of return, although Usagi knew only too well how facts could get warped as they were spread. But that was another story, the main issue was connecting these disappearances with the attacks of their villain. She unconsciously fingered the bracelet that Ami had helped to win her at the arcade, almost looking like a watch although neither of them could figure out how to open it.  
"Spirited away..." Usagi murmured, gazing out the window as she listened to Luna blather on. The light flickered painfully across her eyes, flickering between trees as the sun began to peek from behind the clouds as it always seemed to around this time  
"I mean, think about it, a mysterious girl with spiritual powers? That's not something that we come across every day. Even her appearance, a noble face...she's a shrine maiden..." Luna trailed off, tilting her head to grab Usagi's attention. "She might just be the princess that we are looking for." Usagi sighed, picturing Rei in a dress and crown.  
"She is beautiful enough to be one!" Usagi squealed quietly so the bus driver couldn't hear. Luna could only glare and try to impose a serious tone to the conversation. The bus darkened as they passed under a graffitied tunnel, only Luna's ruby red eyes blinking in the momentary darkness.  
"Or-" She was cut off with the screech of brakes, Luna bracing herself against the seat so as not to be thrown forward, Usagi hardly noticed. Two doors whooshed open and folded into the side of the bus, a crowd of people began to fill the bus. Their conversation ended here apparently.  
Usagi scooped Luna into her lap, whispering uselessly encouraging words into her pointed ear as the small space became warm and packed with passengers. She gripped the edge of the seat murmuring, "See, nobody is back here, we can still talk." She bounced on the springy cushion and swung her feet that skidded onto the dirty floor. Suddenly, Luna sprang from her arms and curled up near the window, shoving her paw to point at the seat next to them. Usagi's eyes widened, her back pulling up straight.  
It was the man that she had kept seeing in the streets, a head taller than herself and lightly tanned skin. faintly, past the reflection in his sunglasses, she could see that he was peering as her from the corner of his eyes. Once again, the man wore a deep blue suit that could easily pass or black, and a red tie tucked beneath the collar. He raised his hand to brush the black strands of hair that covered his far right eye.  
"Why....are you talking to yourself?" He muttered huskily, turning his head to face her cautiously. Usagi's mouth opened in a silent scream, fidgeting with the edge of her skirt as she was reduced to a stunned stare. "Stop with that face, Bun-head." He broke the eye contact to gaze uncomfortably out the window. "Why do we always tend to bump into each other?"  
"Uh..." Usagi's mind raced, her heart thudding like a ticking bomb in her chest. "Maybe we are on the same school route? Do you go to the junior high school too?" She pasted a friendly grin to her face trying to hide the whir of emotions within. The man almost seemed offended by the idea, behind the mask of calm, she could sense impatience stirring. He reached into the inner breast pocket and whipped out a thick card, thrusting it into her face without another glance. Taken aback, she raised an eyebrow in confusion and nearly crossed her eyes in order to read the ID card. It had a tiny picture of him in the corner, she had to admit that he was kind of handsome, and a whole lot of writing that listed his year of high school: second, school: Moto-Azabu, and name: Mamoru Chiba.  
"I am a high school student!" He corrected indignantly, glaring at her with not a tone of superiority that she would expect, but rather of trying to find a way to prove himself.  
Gulping, her lips twitched up in an artificially apologetic smile, raising her brows and discreetly scooting away. The man- Mamoru was slumped over, probably realizing how rude it must have seemed and turned his head towards the window although Usagi could have sworn that he was staring at her from the corner of his eye. It was at least another full forty seconds before Usagi gathered her courage to clear her throat and confront him again.  
"Uh..." She began softly. Mamoru tensed but did not waver from his stiff stature. "Have you heard of the Demon 6:00 PM Bus?" She murmured, her shoulders scrunching up shyly as she faced him. Mamoru sucked in a breath and removed his glasses wearily, folding them distractedly in his hand.  
"Yes. Its this route isn't it." It was not a question, but more of a statement of resignation, sad and accepting. He turned his head a couple degrees, allowing her to see his eyes that were constantly hidden beneath the shades. They were a pool of liquefied bronze, glinting warmly in the dull light. Specks of gold were flecked near the pupil like flakes of the precious mineral amidst a rushing river, full of mild amusement and layers of sadness that glazed over his entire expression. Usagi was taken aback, lost in his eyes that seemed to melt into her own blue ones. It took her a second to rip her gaze to a spot over his shoulder, composing her body in a way that suggested disinterest in the topic. She nodded stiffly, dragging Luna into her lap as a distraction for her hands, wanting to hide under the seat or jump from the window. Luna whined softly, somehow breaking away the awkwardness and leaving them in abrupt silence.  
She could hardly feel the harsh rapping of her heart against her ribs, only Mamoru's fascinated gaze as they waited for the bus to reach its destination.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ooohh.... Uranus and Neptune are in Rei's premonitions?????

Many tongued flames gushed upward from the inside of the fire pit, tumbling over one another and licking the parallel logs. It raged furiously, glowing ever changing shades of gold and orange, a ripple of white flashing near the top, or yellow that blanketed the ground in light. The cedar logs crackled and sprayed sparks as they charred and broke apart under the scorching touch of the flames. The room was dark, light seeping in on the edges of the room and casting dancing shadows on the ceiling and floor and behind the figure crouched before the pit. Reflected in the fire was Rei Hino, positioned cross legged on the floor with her hands pressed flat against one another. Her long lashed eyes were closed serenely, her expression focused as she chanted. Tendrils of dark hair flicked up and nearly was singed although she was far enough away from the leaping flames to avoid being eaten away. She barely breathed in the stuffy air, her mind erasing all distractions and sensations as the world faded from her consciousness is blissful yet eerie silence. Whispers invaded her ears, grappling at her mind in search for something distinguishable to hold onto and take over, although she did not let it. Her mind was well trained and born in a way to ward off such things, able to hook on to a solid, destined fact of the future to carry it into the present. She had to find something, had to find a clue.  
Without opening her eyes, she was able to capture a wisp of premonition, barley a spark and yet she latched onto it, letting it open and engulf her mind with images and snatches of dialogue. A palace, white as snow and glimmering as if it were made of pure diamond, a dark sky that was saturated in stars. Sendaizakaue, the whispers chanted. A man with hair as yellow as corn threads and feminine features, ice crackling over the tips of his fingers as he bellows in rage. Sendaizakaue. A stone statue that appeared to be the girl from the other day, Usagi-chan, that crumbled as a harsh wind blew by. Sendaizakaue. Even two figures that were silhouetted against he moon, tall and lean with imposing statures. Sendaizakaue. Then silence, petrifying silence that pressed on all sides and squeezed Rei until her whole mind caved in on itself and she was left with wide eyes and kneeling on the shrine floor with a flickering fire before her. She gasped, the present washing over her like a dousing of cold water, the visions retaining in her memory as if painted to the insides of her eyelids, the voices that chanted the repeating word over and over and over.  
Sendaizakaue.  
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Rei hardly felt her bare feet pound against the abrasive sidewalk, her baggy kimono billowing at the sleeves and flipping up the hems of her long skirt. Chills rippled over her skin as she raced outside of the archway and onto the exposed street which she had seen a thousand times before. But now, it seemed different, darker and empty of traffic as the sun sank below the city-scape, long shadows tied to every surface. Rei almost paused to observe this surreal version of her familiar street, but she didn't have time, it was nearly 6:00. There had to be some way, maybe using her powers of foresight to stop whatever odious event she predicted, or at least warn somebody- the police and family.  
Behind her, the roaring of an engine could be heard not far away, mixing with her panicked breaths as she sprinted around the corner. The bus was far faster than her and was able to speed right along past her, creating a confining wall for Rei's vision with its gaudy coloring. Her heels began to throb, tiny rocks biting at the balls of her feet as they hit the sidewalk, fast but not fast enough to help as she stopped short at the empty bus stop where a metal sign was standing. The bus braked with unprofessional abruptness, its doors whooshing open in synchrony with Rei's breath to reveal the driver.  
It was the man that had she had seen in her vision, the one with corn-yellow hair that curled all over his head like waves. He was comfortably positioned in the driver's seat, legs crossed and a single hand resting on the wheel as if he had all the time in the day to do whatever wicked deeds he had come to commit. Brows arching, a small smile brightened up his femininely thin face, spiked with insanity and maliciousness as if he seemed genuinely happy to have a passenger. Rei staggered backward and leaned against the bus sign, her legs becoming weak as string, unable to draw her gaze from the murderously glinting eyes of this man. He chuckled, extending his arm towards her as his previously thick lashed eyes became a piercing green that seemed to strike her soul with its intensity. On the edges of her vision, white sparks floated in and out, making Rei's head loll forwards before rolling back up again. She felt her heart slow and her ears stop working, leaving her in a deafening silence. Darkness began to invade in her vision, clouding over and blurring the last sight she would see before crumpling onto the metal steps of the bus.  
Jadeite cackled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Tuxedo Mask, for your efforts....

It had been several days since Usagi had seen that beautiful girl- Rei Hino at the Hikawa shrine. Usagi had stopped crushing on her the moment she began to get to know her, while Rei was stunning, something about her made Usagi uneasy. But still, She couldn't get her mind off of the way that she had accepted the rude demands and accusations as a part of her job, the way she was born warranting such mistreatment as if it was nothing. Usagi was determined to become her friend, just like she had done with Ami. Maybe tomorrow, Usagi would invite her to the arcade, bring Ami to the shrine, or somehow even investigate the so-called kidnappings.  
Usagi was on her way home from school after a long session of the Sailor V game at the arcade. She had just walked Ami home and was heading for her own house, Luna chastising her for being locked to the screen all day.  
"Well, if my life was a bit more exiting like that game, I wouldn't have a need to play it anymore." She protested, Her gaze wandering over the empty streets and the red sunset, a sliver of a moon peeking from behind a layer of darkness. Luna scoffed,  
"Usagi, you are Sailor Moon, that is your life." She shrugged it off easily, frowning and giving each other nasty glares as they bickered. With a sour expression, they continued around the corner, watching gloomily as her shadow bobbed on the concrete. Luna began to slow, her ears pricking up, tail twitching frantically. "Usagi...what time is it?..." She began, trailing off as Usagi straightened her back in surprise picking up on a faint rumbling a distance away. Her pace quickened, grip on her bag most likely leaving patterned prints in her palm from such squeezing.  
"5:45." She muttered, black heels pattering on the ground, her eyes blazing with concentration. "Luna, we've gotta go." Usagi raced towards the rumble of the engine, very faint but definitely a large vehicle, namely, the 6:00 PM Demon Bus. On the horizon, a hill rose from the ground as they sped towards it, a dark shape silhouetted against the glowing coal of a sun behind it. Usagi gasped, her feet stalling in realization that all of her hunches were correct before charging into the light and squinting in attempt to see it clearer. The roar of the engine filled her ears, the faint scent of gasoline and exhaust assaulting her nostrils as it screeched past with amazing speed. Her eyes widened as it passed directly by her, its tires blowing rancid smoke into her face.  
At just the right moment when the light was blocked by the bus as it swerved, Usagi could make out a shape in the window. It was Rei Hino the only passenger, thrown against the window in an unnatural positioning and it was obvious that she was not just asleep. Rei's cheek pressed against the glass, a purple bruise blooming under the eye in the same shade as her eyes if they were open. Her shrine maiden's kimono was rumpled and wrinkled in a way that suggested mild struggle and wounds beneath the fabric. In the front seat, she could glimpse a flash of yellow hair and cadet-blue clothing, arms flinging the steering wheel in around and around blindly, jerking the entire vehicle into a chevron pattern.  
Usagi gawked for the split second that her face was visible before Rei's body was tossed limply to the ground as the bus jostled over the curb, half of it tilting over the sidewalk only a couple meters away from where she stood. Luna leapt into Usagi's arms in safety, her whole body trembling in fear.  
"Rei-chan!" She screeched, her mind telling her to get away although her body disobeyed, blundering towards the shrinking bus in the distance. The road curled around the brick wall and yet the bus continued on, not bothering to turn but instead bumping over the curb and into the lawn of a business building. Usagi's eyes refused to leave the sight as she dashed towards the building, screaming Rei's name over and over in hope that it would somehow conjure her.  
The mucked up the grass, spraying mud everywhere behind its wheels as it drove straight forward and smoothly into the wall. Usagi couldn't help but to stop and gape this time as the entire thing slowed and pushed through cleanly, simply dissolving into the bricks without a trace. Her hand blindly felt into her breast pocket, eyes still glued to the sight as the gripped the pen from the arcade.  
"Moon Power!" She shouted into the descending night. She tossed it into the air and it whirled around merely a whorl of pink in the sky. As she caught it, her clothes transformed from shoes up, black tights weaving around her legs, a tight pencil skirt fitting perfectly around her slightly chubby body with a tiny pale blue bow that popped onto her chest. She released Luna she dashed towards the disappearing bus, her chest expanding tightly over the dense fabric as she panted.  
"Usagi!" Luna hesitated to go any farther, her paw suspended over the ground, unsure to go or not. "Why did you transform into a flight attendant?! Turn into Sailor Moon!" Luna over the muffled engine sounds. Usagi clenched her teeth in determination, not wavering even for a second in attempt to catch the bus, now only a few feet of its rear left in sight.  
"My mission is to ensure the safety of its passengers!" Usagi squawked over her shoulder, realizing how stupid it sounded. Her breath quickened as the back wheel vanished, then more and more until only a foot was left an she was five feet away. With renewed strength, Usagi's muscles tightened, launching herself the last bit of distance and hitting the rear window of the bus painfully. She groaned as her body was nearly rebounded backwards before her hands scrabbled at the bumper for hold, nearly slicing her fingers open on the sharp metal. The tiny felt hat was whisked from the top of her head and rolled into the grass with a faint thunk. Just as the wall was about to suck her in, she heard a grunt directly behind her and the whine of Luna. Her last glimpse of her world was Tuxedo Mask skidding to the edge of the walk, a writhing Luna trying to escape his gloved arms. She cried out, almost managing his name before feeling all of the breath squeezed from her lungs, darkness closing in on her vision as everything went silent and the brick wall sucked her in.  
***********************************************************************************************

Luna wriggled in the man's arms, doing her best to escape his distracted hold. She knew only vaguely who he was: Tuxedo Mask who had appeared on the sight of every battle they had encountered so far. Ally or villain, neither of them knew although Usagi was convinced that he was a superhero. Luna was skeptical, he had not shown any supernatural talent, save the abnormally lengthy jumps to lampposts. For now, she had to do her best to stay away from this man.  
She rolled in his grip, feeling his slender fingers slip through her fur as she fell from his grip, unharmed and on all four paws. With a last yelp, she didn't hesitate to bound away, her shadow bouncing with each leap she took. But before she had gone completely, she spotted from the corner of her eye Tuxedo Mask had knelt in the soggy grass with his cape fanned elegantly behind him. Scooping up Usagi's little flight attendants hat that had fallen as she hurtled, he examined it, his white mask covering his eyes, although Luna could see that he was puzzled. Muttering something, Tuxedo Mask stood, tucking the tiny hat into his inner breast pocket and glancing back at Luna who had stopped to watch. But now was not the time for that.  
She padded around the corner of the building, retracing her and Usagi's steps from just minutes ago. Her mind raced, hardly surprised that something like this would happen, but still slightly disconcerted at the memory. The crescent moon shape on her forehead glowed a bit, casting light on the edges of her vision as she spoke.  
"Ami-chan." Luna muttered breathily, still making her way up the street. A faint buzzing was audible as the radio opened up on her collar. On the other end, she heard a click and a soft intake of breath as Ami opened the receiver in the seemingly toy they had won at the arcade.  
"Luna..." She murmured, her voice confused and slightly afraid. " Luna, is that you?" Her pace did not slow as Ami's voice came clear over the receiver. She waited for a woman to pass by before she spoke again, this time slightly lower.  
"Yes, now you need to meet me down at Sendaizakaue. I'll explain when you get here. Be prepared to transform." Ami began to speak again in a strangled tone but before she could make sense, Luna clicked off the communicator and continued on, her face looking as determined as a cat's could.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clumsy at night, clumsy in the day, clumsy while blindly meandering around a pitch black cave where you just got absorbed into a wall while dressed like an airplane attendant to save your psychic superhero friend...

The darkness pressed on all sides as if it were about to squeeze Usagi into nothingness, the silence was just as eerie. Not a single sound touched her tensed ears, even her wobbly footsteps refused to make a sound as they staggered blindly into the wall of inky black. Each heavy breath dissolved into the thin air without a sound. A faint mist floated at the same height at her head, the only break in the eternal darkness, peppering her skin with flecks of water. It felt as if she were dead, trapped in this eternal darkness that lacked source. She couldn't exactly help but to panic a bit, her heart was beating so loud that she could swear that it echoed, sweat mixing with the droplets of water that beaded on her skin. She felt for her tails of hair, her hand wringing it with nerves as she glanced around the room, her back hunching over as her body became taut. It took a moment. But she managed to get a grip on her wandering mind, rather than racing through all of the worst possible things that could happen next, her mind traveled to the girl who could get out of any situation without freaking out. Ami. What would Ami do?  
If Ami were here, they probably would be out of wherever this place was, plus have defeated the enemy by the time Usagi stopped hyperventilating. She knelt on the ground for support, the fight attendant pencil skirt straining against her hips. Feeling at he ground, she managed to focus on something that she could sense, The ground was slightly rough, but grainy as if it were made of sand and half melted pieces of glass. The dank air and musty smell that radiated from everywhere at once suggested that it was some sort of....cave? Well, that was the only thing she could think of anyway. Following the only senses that she could, Usagi trailed her finger along the floor, letting them bounce over the jagged surface. The coldness traveled up through her fingers and made her entire body quiver and collect goose pimples. She waddled like a duck for someways, following a trail that she made in her head although it was composed of nothing in particular. Her hands passed over a spot that left her hands feeling sticky and wet, thin strips of sogginess clinging to the tips of her fingers. Raising it to her nose, she sniffed in a bitter yet mildly sweet scent that sent her reeling in memories of summer. Grass.  
Usagi perked up, reinnervated by the thought that it could have tracked from the bus tire and lead a trail to safety. Or danger, because that is where the enemy would be. But at least she would be somewhere. She stood up quickly, her muscled cramping up from the sudden strain. She tested her shoes on the spot, letting them slide over the tacky wet patch and shuffling over the area until she detected a trail leading to her right. Slowly making her way, she bit her lip in concentration her breath beginning to steam as she was lead through the darkness to a place where the air chilled her to the bones.  
It had felt like hours, although Usagi's subconscious told her that it had been a mere five minutes, before she had tracked the bus trail to a halting point. The grass had only made an initial mark on the ground and had faded away as it drove, leaving her with no sign that she would find her way, except for the probability that the bus followed in continuous line. Hesitantly, she continued on step by step in the direction that it had been facing when the track stopped, seeing nothing except for darkness and dizzying silence that revealed that her mind was a surprisingly frightening place to be left to. With careful steps she continued forward, her face crumpling in desperation.  
Bang.  
Usagi stumbled backward, clutching her face and refraining from an howl, falling backwards a couple yards. She regained her balance, still gasping through her mouth as her nose throbbed and feeling as if it were on fire. Peering upwards, she yanked down her stockings that as hitched up as she fell and squinting at the form in front of her. Faintly outlined in the darkness was a grey post that reached higher than she could see, tiny valleys were carved vertically in its circular shape. Near the bottom it withered away as if a beaver had chewed it, only a tiny, chipped slab held the pillar upright and even still it appeared to be unsteady. Usagi grimaced, glad that she hadn't knocked the entire thing down with her clumsy tendencies. Avoiding the column, she continued on with caution, her excitement and fright peaked as more white strips appeared in the distance. She noticed that the darkness seemed to thin as she walked on, allowing her to see farther in all directions although a light source did not appear to be present.  
Her shoes still were muffled, barely a clack was able to be heard as she approached a cluster of crumbling monoliths that were huddled around a tiny spark of green flame. The dim light hit her eye and made her cringe, already used to the black and finding it strange to see a tiny island of safety in the sea of darkness. She almost squealed in glee, hopping forward and drawing nearer to the tiny wisp of green that emitted a cool light. It cast its pigment upon a pile of something opposite of her, and she realized that her little "island" was a lot larger than he had initially suspected, about ten meters across and most likely stories high seeing from the immense pillars supporting the structure. She ducked behind one of them, observing warily from her standpoint and trying to make out the objects that were strewn all over the floor. It was at least thirty seconds and Usagi was on the verge of going into the center of the ring when a roar sounded from the fire pit. She jumped, her breath leaping into her chest as she peered around the corner of her hiding spot.  
The glowing green spark flitted upward elegantly, rotating in the air until it fell into the middle of the charred pit. Without warning, the spark billowed upward in a forest of flickering tendrils of emerald fire, lighting up the entire expanse in its bright hue. The mounds that she had seen before were...bodies, piled up without care and flung across the floor randomly, some lying prone on their backs and some flopped in awkward positions with limbs poking out. Gasping Usagi clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes trying to absorb the gruesome sight before her. Her gaze focused on a high school age woman with short locks of golden hair and a sallow face, hand in hand with another pretty girl in a loose fitting dress that matched her aqua hair. Usagi watched their chests and from the far distance, she could see that their bosoms rose and fell in rhythm, their faces peaceful. Alive, but only just. A coma?  
Sucking in a breath, her head turned abruptly as footsteps fell, now sharply resonating unlike the sounds before. It was a man that emerged from the shadows a grey-blue coat that wrapped over his upper body and buttoned over his chest. He looked in his twenties, a young brightness in his vibrant eyes, but something beyond facial features told her that he had seen things that nobody that age should have to. Skin as pale as the moon, he looked unhealthily thin with a middle that looked wasted away and ribs that poked beyond the tightly wrapped uniform. His expression was solemn with a gaze that refused to wander from where he strode to, sunshine yellow hair that waved over his eyes in the slight breeze that the burst of fire had left in the room. A disembodied voice echoed throughout the cavern, not connecting to the man's unmoving lips, one that was smooth and manipulative- poisoned honey to her ears.  
"You are too lenient." It uttered, filling the cavern with its wry tone. The blond haired man stiffening, not pausing his stride though definitely slowing the pace. His Adam's apple bobbed, hair flopping over his eyes.  
"Nephrite?" He muttered, eyebrows knitting in distaste. Taking a breath, he continued on speaking to the silent air around him. "The more hostages the better. This will definitely draw in the Sailor Guardians, you know that well enough." His tone was cold and unfeeling, stooping down to prod at the two girls that Usagi had spotted earlier, the tall one's fingers twitching within her partner's hand. He moved on to the next closest body, one that made Usagi bite her tongue in fear and surprise. Rei.  
"We'll see how long you last." The voice responded maliciously, their slick words fading away into the shadows. The man did not falter, staring with his slanted ice blue eyes into Rei's beautifully peaceful face, his own cold and hard. it looked as if she had been tossed onto the pile of other bodies, her upper back propped up on the shoulder of a elderly man. Her head had been thrown backward and exposing her long, tenoned neck. Hair fanned out around her, she looked like she was spreading wings behind her back, pitch black ones that curled its feathers around her like vines and appeared to strangle. As Usagi watched fearfully, it was hard to see his expression from the angle that she was positioned, but she could have sworn that his expression grew soft for a moment, eyes becoming thoughtful and strangely reminiscent. He reached out his arm and Usagi tensed, clenching her teeth together and sure that he was about to do something despicable and something she would be able to stop without the others. But instead, her simply stroked her porcelain cheekbone with the pad of his thumb, caressing down her cheek and tracing her lips with surprising delicacy. His eyes tightened in a strangely placid grin that was laced with an undertone of lust, his gloved hand fondling her chin that jutted out defiantly even in sleep. Usagi swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the grooved surface of the pillar like tiny iron bars.  
Suddenly, the watch that she had won at the arcade lit up, the tiny crystals studded around its edge sparkling in a rotation. She went rigid, her eyes widening as she stared at the circular pendant that curled around her wrist, gold slats that opened as it was bent. Wincing at the sudden glow, she inserted her thumbnail into the crack between the plates, prying the watch open with its hinges as smooth as if it had just been oiled. Thankfully, the man didn't hear anything, still creepily looming over her friend. Inside the watch was not a clock, but a tiny, circular screen that flashed its pixels and fuzzed over, finally clearing up to create the blurred image of Luna. Usagi scurried away from the ring of pillars, her path now lit by the emerald fires. Luna's face was cerebral, not an ounce of emotion left inside of her, only cold determination.  
"Usagi, where are you?" Her quavery voice was almost firm now, red eyes flitting to the left to check up on something. Usagi gawked and rubbed the screen to make sure it wasn't just a hallucination, but the voice was too fuzzy to be made up my her own brain. She wouldn't have remembered that whatever connection this was would be fuzzy if this was all a dream...unfortunately.  
"Luna!" She murmured, her voice muffled even through the short distance tot eh watch. There was no need to worry about the sounds carrying to the enemy only a distance away. "Is this some sort of walkie-talkie or something?!"  
"Never mind that, right now, we need to know where-" Luna was cut off.  
"I don't know! But this creepy guy is touching Rei weird and I didn't know that there was such thing as green fire!" She stage whispered, her lips almost touching the crystal screen. Luna licked her forked upper lip, only her neck becoming visible for a second as she craned her neck. "Luna!" She cried softly, banging on the side of the watch in case it had stopped working.  
"I need stronger signals." Came a smothered voice from the other end, musical and gentle- Ami. "How about detecting the energy generated by her transformation?" Ami suggested, her voice stifled over the speaker. Usagi glanced around nervously, not even surprised to know that her partner was already on the job. "Once we confirm her location, we can teleport to where she is. Right?" Ami sounded pitifully nervous, as if she were about to be scolded by the cat at any moment that she messed up her job. A faint shuffling could be heard and Luna's furry face appeared on the screen again, her ears twitching.  
"Guys, please hurry! I don't like it down here!" Usagi whined, a spray of spittle spattering on the watch. She huddled tighter behind the pillar, trying to warm herself and pretend as if she were safe at home again....  
"Usagi!" Luna shouted into the speaker, her scratchy pink tongue lolling around in her mouth. "Transform!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The demon enemy of ice is hot okay???? Watch out for Haruka and Michiru in the background of this one.

At first, there was nothing. Darkness, blackness, night. Then, a tiny infinitesimal seed of consciousness was sown deep inside Rei, like a tiny fire that spread through er whole body and lingered at the tips of her toes. And then....she could feel.  
Awakening did not open her eyes but she could still sense her surrounds, partly from her psychic powers and partly from the one sense that she had regained. The first thing Rei noticed was that she was lying down on something cold and hard, chunks of gravel pricking into her lower back. Her upper back was rested on something a lot softer, yet a lot lumpier than a pillow, head stretched backwards uncomfortably and suspended in the empty air. Chills clung to her skin and arced up her arms that were flung around her head and caught between strands of her own hair. The second thing she became aware of was the fact that a cold hand was fingering her face, brushing over her eyelids and tracing down her jawline, icy fingers that scooped between her eyes and nose. Whoever it was who so fervently touched her smelled of ash and iron- a rancid scent that rolled from their body in waves. She wanted to jerk away, but her entire body seemed to be paralyzed. Her brain told her hands to move, but the muscles wouldn't react, not eve tensing up when she told them to. Rage flowed through her of the memories of chasing the bus, the visions and how she must have fallen unconscious. From....fear? No, Rei hardly ever panicked, but right now, she couldn't help it. Had this person somehow drugged her? Was it the same person that she had seen driving the bus? The possibilities of what he could be doing bombarded er brain as she raced through ever last outcome, her heart rate increasing.  
Her mind worked overtime, sensing signals to various limbs only to be confronted with defeat, unable to move a single part of her limp body. The brushing on her cheek suddenly stopped, their hand still lying flat on her face although immobile. The shadow that she didn't even realize was crossed over her face moved, green light shone through her eyelids and burned into her pupils painfully. The was a shuffling as the person in front of her moved, then a clack of two shoes to show that they were now standing. A voice echoed throughout whatever clandestine chamber they were in, masculine and strangely sharp.  
"You two!" The voice snarled, reverberating in her ears as another cool wave of air washed over her. There was a moment of silence, and then another voice mastered the last one, filling the area with its strident whine,  
"I am the Pretty Guardian in a Sailor Suit, Guardian of Love and Justice. Sailor Moon!" It penetrated the air with its buoyant ring."And now, in the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" Usagi-chan, the girl from a day ago. It was definitely her voice despite its newfound confidence that she didn't have before. Rei tried to open her eyes but her attempt was futile.  
What was she doing here? Wherever they were....  
Suddenly, another voice could be heard, this one was soft and mellifluous- its faint quaver signaling that she was restraining her fright. "I am also a Pretty Guardian in a Sailor Suit, Guardian of Love and Intelligence. Sailor Mercury!" This new girl paused to catch her breath, taking a little too long before shouting, "Douse yourself in water and repent...!"  
This time, Rei was set on overcoming whatever paralyzing drug the man had used on her. She tried to block out the next words that came from directly in front of her, hardly understanding what they meant. Mind falling back into nothingness, she searched in that induced darkness for something in her consciousness that could pull her from this immobile state. It was just as she does at the shrine, forcing her brain into the future and dissecting all of the indecipherable whispers that was fired at her. She battled with them, trying to distinguish the voices from the outside of Usagi-chan, from the voices within. There was a strand of sensory that floated into her mind, she mentally reached to it and grabbed hold, a whoosh of unnecessary predictions scattering as she broke through the barrier. Her eyes rolled open to reveal a dull pool of violet, a spark of electricity brightening all of her five senses to maximum. It worked.  
She scanned the area, still too lethargic to do much else. Usagi was standing a good five meters from her, dressed far differently than Rei would have expected. She wore a snowy white leotard with a rippling, cobalt skirt attached to her hipbones that ruffled in the thin breeze. A hot-pink colored bow was situated on her chest, one gold pendant pinned to the center and sparkling unnaturally bright in the dim lighting. The rest of her outfit resembled Sailor V's, white gloved that ended in red puffs near the elbow, and red, knee high boots. Her yellow hair was still tightly tied in two buns on the top of her head, the tails curling down to reach nearly to her ankles.  
The girl next to her- Sailor Mercury, was in the same general outfit, but a new color scheme. The skirt matched her turquoise hair almost perfectly, not even reaching halfway down her thigh. The bow and sleeve wraps were slightly lighter, like the sky but a bit greener, almost looking neon compared to the dim room. She was only a tiny bit taller than Usagi and about the same age as well- fourteen...fifteen... But there was something about them that suggested an old soul, hidden powers far beyond their knowledge. It was a bit eerie. At their side was a tiny, black cat that wove between the blue-haired girl's legs, its tail twitching rapidly before darting into the shadows.  
"I've been waiting for you, Sailor Guardians," The man intoned, hunching over and sniggering. Rei couldn't see him very well from the back for he towered over her, clad in a grey-blue vest and rumpled pants. He straighten his back to look imposingly on the two of them, still unaware that Rei was awake now.  
"Release Rei-chan and the others!" Usagi clamored, gnashing her teeth and spreading her legs out in a fighting stance. Gaze faltering, she glanced at the blue-haired girl; Sailor Mercury who's posture sagged as they exchanged looks. Mercury whispered something inaudible behind her hand and Usagi pulled away before she finished. "....Who are you!" She bellowed with an awkward pause, pointing her finger at the man. He didn't even hesitate to answer,  
"My name is Jadeite, One of the Four Kings of the Dark Kingdom," Before Rei could even process the name through her groggy mind, the man turned into a blur as he lunged at the two of them, arms outstretched. Usagi- or Sailor Moon yelped and fell to the ground as his hand glanced her side, skidding across the gravely floor and scraping her thigh. Mercury was luckier, dodging Jadeite altogether and slipping away with her fluid body. Stepping backwards, Rei couldn't see her face although her stance showed the determination as she thrust her hands out and shouted firmly,  
"Mercury Aqua Mist!" Hands twisting together, she grunted as a wave gushed from her palm, dissolving in the air to create a thick cloud of white that completely enveloped Jadeite and Sailor Moon. Mercury staggered backwards, watching her creation expand and billow to cover most of the room in its blinding contrast to the darkness around. Jadeite roared, the only other noise in the room besides the hiss of evaporating water. Rei was on the edge of the chamber and was hardly affected, however the tiny spray of water that was initially thrown had broken through the barrier of sluggishness. She sat alert now, managing to lift herself from the floor and realize that she was lying on a pile of bodies. Gasping, she scrambled away, first checking to see if they were breathing, to Rei's relief, the nearest couple seemed to had a steady rise and fall of their chest, seemingly peaceful under whatever drug was used. Tensing, she narrowed her eyes into the sea of white, hardly watching as Usagi crawled pathetically from the cloud, whimpering about how it was cold.  
"Is that all you can do?" Jadeite taunted, rolling out of the mist with a grunt. He stood proudly on the fringes to the left, still not noticing that Rei had willed herself from her stupor. Usagi coughed and scrambled to her feet, a couple muffled words flying from her mouth as she reached for her tiara. Before she could finish, Jadeite shoved his hands forward with a bellow, his only visible side tempestuous with rage.  
"You cannot compete with my abilities!" His hands were thrown up, glowing green like the flames in the obscured fire. Silvery crystals of ice exploded from his fingertips, face determined and grinning victoriously. His expression was eerie, not at all like a villain's should be; cackling and confident, but more of one that a hero would have after saving their city; surprised, relieved and slightly broken. And in the split second that Rei had the time to think this through, Jadeite tossed ice shards like knives, whizzing past the guardians like rain. Usagi cried out in fear as a sheet of ice clung to her shielding hands, more and more building up her wrists until an entire mass of crackling ice was bulking up her entire arm. She did her best to ward it off, letting the shards shatter as they pelted her skin, Mercury fighting her way through the shower to try to rescue Sailor Moon. Both girls screamed as the razor edges sliced through their skin, making a spatter of blood arc the pillar behind them as Usagi's cheek grazed the tip of the hurricane of ice.  
This time, Rei couldn't just hide, this was too much to bear watching without attempting to save them. She cleared her voice, muted by the shattering screams and ice as they smashed into the ground. "USAGI!" Rei shouted, her sonorous tone echoing through whatever hall they were in. She hoped it would distract the enemy, but only for a half a second before he hit the two girls even more forcefully than ever, winds mixing in to create a white storm. However, Usagi had heard, doing her best to see through the cyclone and use the ice that built up on her now blue hands as a shield.  
"REI!" She shrieked, voice cracking. "No, no, no, no! I'm not Usagi!" She cried out as a chunk in the knee nearly sent her reeling over, but she held her ground with a gaze that could be compared to a tiger's before it snatched up its prey. "I'm-" She faltered, dodging a sliver near her ear, "A Sailor Guardian!" Gasping, Sailor Moon turned her sharp gaze to look directly into Rei's eyes. "This is not what normal people can do."  
She has powers too.  
Rei shot up and lunged at the man called Jadeite, throwing her whole weight onto his and sending them both to the ground. She had hardly realized what she had just done, although it was only instinct controlling her now. The ice shards stopped and Mercury and Moon stood dubiously as Rei scrambled to her feet once again. Raising his arm, Jadeite prepared for an attack on her but before he could do a thing, Rei kicked him in the stomach and nearly snapped his arm as she grabbed the wrist. Their arms quivered, muscle against muscle in the fight for purchase. Their eyes met as her fingers tightened, her teeth grating together as she watched his eyebrows arch scathingly. Jadeite's hand began to radiate green again, a coldness washing over it and sending chills racing up her spine. Frost began to creep over Rei's flesh, solidifying into chiseled ice that cemented her to the enemy.  
"Don't you dare defy me, human." Jadeite spat, their faces growing closer and now only inches apart. Rei screwed up her eyes, eyebrows splicing together as she glared into his murderous blue eyes.  
"Human?" She snarled, bits of spittle flying, yanking backwards, she used their bind to send Jadeite to the floor as she held her arm with elbow jutting out. He thrashed as Rei planted her foot upon his chest, ignoring the screams of rage that echoed around the cavern. A bit of steam wafted from their interconnected limbs, the ice loosing its fuzzy surface and becoming slick with heat. It thinned and left a smooth, breakable layer that clung to the hems of her shrine maiden kimono and clattered to the floor in tiny, glass-like shards. Rei roared, sending her bare foot into Jadeite's face and letting his head smack into the rocky ground where a stain of blood bloomed in his bond locks- probably unconscious.  
Her fist clenched, fingernails biting into her palm and making crescent shaped imprints into her skin. Her right hand continued to smoke in great whiffs, releasing into the green dinged darkness that lingered around the edge of where she stood. Rei was so enticed by watching the curls of white twist through the cracks between the fingers, trailing over her hand in a blanket of velvety air that she didn't notice the red light that shone overhead. It contrasted the green hue cast over the room, that only after she had realized that Moon and Mercury were gawking, Rei sensed its warm emmitance of light. Her mouth dropped as she tensed, every muscle on edge after the scuffle and now suddenly drooping as a vision flashed over, the same one that she had seen on the bus: It was a crystal tower, gold trimmed and studded with pearls all over its shimmering surface like the water in a clear lake. Spires of marble towered over and touched the never ending night sky which was a mass of stars. The vision only lasted for a infinitesimal amount of time and immediately began to fade from her memory after it vanished, and yet it left her in awe and not enough time to recover before something flew her way. Her quick reflexes jerked her smoking hand up to catch it, feeling warm the second it made contact with her skin. At the bottom, the stick was a vibrant red and meeting a rounded point, while at the top, it was a mess of golden designs, runes and crystals. She didn't have a good chance to examine it, or even begin to organize the flurry of thoughts and confusion before a black shape darted from behind the pillar. Rei vaguely remembered seeing it right when she had first woken, slipping into the shadows to hide. The creature that Rei soon realized was a cat stepped from the shadows, her expression solemn as it opened it mouth to...speak?  
"Hold you stick up and shout, 'Mars Power Make Up!'" The cat came closer, tail batting like a windshield wiper. Its cherry red eyes shone like lasers into he darkness, finding Rei's own plum ones. She glanced at Usagi who was still trying to beat away the ice on the side of the pillar, Ami breathing heavily into it while pressing the mass against her legs in attempt to melt it. They were having no success and couldn't fight without their hands. Usagi's gaping morphed into a jubilant grin, bouncing on the balls of her heels.  
"Go on! Do what Luna says!" She called across the room, oblivious to the dangers. Rei gulped, her gaze flicking over the chamber hesitantly.  
"Mars Power Make Up!" She halfheartedly shouted, holding the stick that the cat had seemingly thrown her, the word's alien syllables tasting strangely familiar. Sure enough, the glow upon her head increased, now a blinding fiery light that seemed to burn her skin however painlessly. The stick guided her hand in an arc as she gripped it tightly, her mouth falling open into an O. The motion gave Rei a sense of deja-vu as if she had done this many, many times before yet the memory had somehow been suppressed and fighting to free itself again. The thought soon evaporated as a shower of sparks burst from the tip of the wand, crating a waterfall of light around her. She winced and waited for the sparks to fall onto her skin, and they did, flecking her body like freckles and the extras wafting to the ground. They caused her skin no damage whatsoever, merely expanding to cover the majority of her body colorfully. Feeling warm as if she could melt into the transformation and slip into the ecstasy forever, she closed her eyes, heartbeat become steady for the first time this night. The stick guided her hand and while she couldn't see, there was a faint roar and heat assailed her like a physical blow. Her hair beat onto her back as the world spun in dizzying circles and flung her body into one position after another: hands up, left knee raised, arched back and an elaborate twist of the hands before spreading her legs and arms raised parallel to the floor- wherever the floor was... A swirl of heat circled around her hips, hands, and feet although she still refused to open her eyes, partly from vertigo and partly from simply being caught up in the euphoria. A burst of light from outside of her eyelids told Rei that there was a fire, and yet it didn't seem to hurt her in the slightest. Ankles scorching, she felt them raise from the ground as she spun in a full circle to stand upright, her hands crossed over her chest. There was a weight at her hips and shoulders as they soon became covered with silky fabric that tightened over her waist and hips, closing off with a cold band that melded in the shape of her forehead. She opened her mouth and breathed in the smoky air, not realizing that all of that had happened in around five seconds, she had been holding her breath he whole time, and there was a blazing flame that licked over her skin and obscured her vision.  
Her hair whipped around as she flung her head back, sucking in sharp breaths and trying to absorb the golden fires that raged around her. Breathing it in her lungs until her heart pumped blood that was spiked with flame and spirit felt rejuvenated as if Rei had been asleep the entire time and had just woken in her hidden form.  
Hidden no more.  
"I am the Pretty Guardian in a Sailor Suit." She swung her arm around the flames, feeling their feverish tongues that danced around her arms. "The Guardian of Fire and Passion, Sailor Mars!" She words just felt right to her, as if they had been locked away for her entire life and just now, when the conditions were right the memories released themselves, putting words in her mouth. Cracking her knuckles, she let her hair fly upward, trying to swat away the fire. "And now, in the name of Mars, I will chastise you!" Her arm conducted itself and placed her fingers into a point, body facing to the side as the flared through the engulfing orange and yellow which quickly faded as the transformation came to an end.  
With deep breaths, Sailor Mars flipped around to face the gaping Moon and Mercury, glancing down at her new outfit. It was the exact same style as the other two, except the fact that she was the only one with a scarlet skirt and purple bow that was studded with a vermilion pin in the center. Suddenly feeling taller, she realized that the feeling of a lift was because two ruby red high heels had formed around her bare feet, fitting perfectly as if it had been woven directly onto her foot- which it just might have. Peering nervously at the rest, she clasped her gloved hands together, trying to stifle the smoke that wafted from her the wrinkles in her fingers. Usagi leaned forward, her icy hands dropping as her mind became distracted with the new addition of the team: Sailor Mars.  
"Protected by the planet and goddess, Mars...You are the chosen one..." Moon murmured in a tone hardly distinguishable, eyes not being able to grow any larger than they already have. Mercury stood straighter, recovering far quicker and giving a curt nod. Mars gulped, fingering the too short skirt. She opened her mouth in an effort to respond but was cut off by the grunt of Jadeite as he lifted himself from the floor. In one motion, he raised his right hand, face pinched in concentration and rage as a spray of frost shot from his fingers- slightly weaker than before but still enough to nearly knock Sailor Mars Mars from her feet. Her eyebrows arched in anger, standing her ground against the bombardment of bitter wind and ice crystals. Her body radiated with heat, giving off a faint glow of red as the cold dissolved the second it came within inches of her skin.  
She was no longer the helpless Rei Hino, she was Sailor Mars who had lava flowing in her veins, anger bubbling to the surface and ready to battle anybody who defied her. The goddess of war, fire and spirit was on her side- granting powers that was reflected in her scorching gaze. She had already accepted her new identity as a guardian, since birth knowing that there was an unusual presence and Sailor Mars was ready to prove her worth.  
"Usagi! Now!" The black cat shouted over the rush of blood in her ears. Usagi broke away from her trance, turning back to Luna and winking devilishly while saluting childishly with two fingers. Rei stepped back from the rising Jadeite, realizing that she was about to use one o her own attacks and it wouldn't be good to get in her way. Moon snapped the tiara from her forehead and gave it a practiced spin, letting it hover over her palm as she swung it about as if it was a frisbee. It glowed gold and appeared to be a halo, morphing into a razor sharp edge and humming monotonously.  
"Moon Tiara..." She began, voice strengthening as she finished the phrase, "...Boomerang!" She shouted these last words vehemently, dropping her usually whiny tone. The halo shot from her hand as she swung, zooming in a flash of light at Jadeite. He screamed in agony, his now upright body stumbling as the tiara looped around his arms and upper body, fingers clawing at his own face. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, pitiful tears building up in his eyes as his words became a string of unintelligible blathering.  
"Sailor Mars!" The cat shrieked over the screams, her posture and voice becoming sargent-like, "Do it now!" Mars had no idea what the cat was talking about, although the repressed instinct took hold, guiding her mouth and hands.  
"Evil Spirit who abducts innocent passengers..." She muttered, eyes aflame. She raised two fingers which blazed with azure tendrils of fire, crackling to reveal a slip of paper that was at least twice as long as her thumb, undamaged by the cool flames that engulfed it. Foreign kanjis were scrawled on its surface, the ink running artistically down its mild wrinkles as if it had just been written. Steam rushed like a bull from her nostrils, hitting the cool air with its uncanny heat as she finished the statement. "You must not exist in this world!" With a twist of her wrist, she whipped her arm into the air, the tiny fire churning as it rushed up in the sudden burst of oxygen. Still pinching the piece of paper between her fore and middle fingers, she used her whole arm to swish the slip in a circular motion, a trail of blue fire trickling from its fluttering end. As the two ends of the circle connected, the ring of flame transformed into a blazing gold halation, like writhing snakes that were eating each other's tails. "EVIL SPIRIT." Mars roared fervidly, "BE EXORCISED."  
The flames conjoined in the center and shot towards Jadeite, consuming his body in a rush of gold and blinding white. He cried out in agony, his arms straining against the constraining halo, cords bulging in his neck as another scream ripped through the air. The flames bloomed and created an opaque wall of flickering red, completely blanketing him and stifling the shriek that echoed and broke through the silence.  
Jadeite was dead.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awww they kiss..... Wait, why are Haruka and Michiru here? Who knows, who knows.....

"Mii-chan!" Rei cried and stumbling over blindly, tears sparking her eyes. She flung herself on the small girl who was newly awakened, hugging the child with her whole body. Mii sat up, brushing away Rei's sweat-soaked kimono and peering cautiously at her with large, sage green eyes. Rei sobbed, a grimacing smile stretching at he corner of her lips, as she searched Mii's face, trying to take in every magenta strand of hair that clung greasily to her scalp, pulled back in two pigtails. The powdery pink blotch that spread over her skin, and her tiny lips and nose that were arranged confusedly with irises flicking around to observe her surroundings.  
They sat in the middle of the sidewalk on the opposite side of the neon caution tape that was strung around the area. A line of stoic police officers shielded the oncoming crowd from the awakening passengers who were slowly rousing with the assistance of permitted medical persons. Sirens sounded in the distance, warding away the unwanted crowds and clearing the way for ambulances as red and blue lights flickered. Right after the three of them had transported, they de-transformed and pretended to be one of the missing passengers who were 'mysteriously dumped in the middle of the street, not a sign of their whereabouts.'  
"Rei," Mii whimpered. "Why am I here?..." They gripped each other's arms tighter, her eyes watering in bewilderment. Rei sucked in a breath, unsure of it herself. A tear stained the red fabric of her dress, watching it smear down her knee.  
"The Sailor Guardians saved you." She replied, gulping painfully. Mii's round eyes flicked to the side, her pudgy hands releasing from their embrace and she flipped around.  
"Mama!" She bounced on her knees, all of her attention falling to her mother who was permitted through the police barrier. Rei withdrew, scooting backward and standing to watch the reunion.  
"Mii! Stars above, you don't know how much-" Her next words were muffled as her mouth was buried in Mii's hair, her arms curling around her daughter's tiny body and holding tight. The mother refused to acknowledge Rei, which seemed pretty reasonable, but still slightly rude considering that Rei had just saved the lot of them. All three of them cried. Rei raised her hand to her mouth, propping it up with the left to cover the watery grin that formed. She stood, relieved and more than happy to see them all safe again, every one of their waking forms filled her with satisfaction.  
A couple near the edge of the group was being administered the waking injection, their hands clasped tightly even in sleep. The athletic-looking androgynous woman being the first of the two to be roused sat up and immediately turned to her aqua haired partner who still lay unconscious. Lifting the woman into a sitting position, Girl #1 cradled the Girl #2 until she stirred, immediately turning her eyes up to her partner's and crying her name. It was immediately smothered with a vehement kiss, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, a dappled blush dawning over Girl #2's cheeks as Girl #1 stroked her hair. Rei pinched her lips in a smile as she watched their beautiful reunion, remembering how the man- Jadeite had so lovelessly touched her. It was a disgusting thought as Rei remembered, giving her shivered at the memory and acknowledging how differently it was from the passionate couple's loving embraces. She watched the pair of them lift themselves from the ground and try to locate a police officer, looking slightly disoriented but delighted all the same.  
Turning her back, she traipsed back to the others- Usagi and the girl she had recently learned was named Ami. Usagi gave a sanguine smile, holding a sleeping Luna in her crossed arms. Ami was at her side, appearing slightly disgruntled from the trip, but pleasant and intelligent looking as ever.  
"Now there are three Sailor Guardians." Usagi prompted, her voice breathy in order to hide it from the nearby police. She leaned forward, a secretive expression falling oh-so not discreetly over her face. Ami gave a decorous bow of the head,  
"I am so glad that you have joined us, Sailor Mars. We were looking for somebody like you." She stated warmly, her mild grin widening as they made eye contact. Rei almost blushed as a red siren light flashed, her eyes brightening up in pride. Usagi winked and turned away towards the release gate, hushing a squirming Luna in their arms.  
Rei felt her chest warm in delight as she realized that they were a fighting trio. That even without their sailor suits, the three of them would be sticking close together to fight both mortal and supernatural enemies. Maybe it was intuition, maybe it was her subconscious training as a shrine maiden, but Rei had a feeling that this was nothing compared to the evils they would have to face in the near future, but she would also feel a much stronger emotion than friendship in their journeys.  
And with that thought, the three of them walked into the night, a silvery crescent moon looming eerily over their heads as they let themselves be swallowed by darkness.


End file.
